ISEKAI? More like I See Crap!

Once they arrived.

Hazuki stopped at the front gate, staring at the house in silence. The stone walls were neatly stacked, the wooden frame strong yet warm, and beyond it the courtyard spread with a patch of green that felt strangely inviting.

The soft shimmer of the lake behind the house reflected the last rays of the evening sun, painting the scene in gold.

Damn… this is really nice.

Not too big, not too small…

A place like this, by a lake…

This is the kind of dream house I pictured when I thought about saving money and settling down.

His eyes softened as he imagined it.

Himself chopping wood in the morning.

While Ellyn humming by the window while cooking, children laughing as they ran barefoot through the courtyard. A home built with his own hands, in the beastkin kingdom, by a lake just like this.

Yeah… one day. A house for me and Ellyn… with a noisy bunch of kids running around.

But not here in a dwarven town… in her homeland. That's where it should be.

He exhaled slowly, realizing he'd been staring too long.

On his shoulder, Ellyn tilted her head, ears twitching curiously at his expression. "Hazuki?" she asked softly.

Hazuki blinked and smiled faintly, brushing the thought aside before it showed too much. "Nothing. Just… thinking this place is better than I expected."

Ellyn's lips curved into a knowing little smile.

"Let's go inside!" Ellyn chirped as she slid down from Hazuki's shoulder with practiced ease, her tail flicking as she landed lightly on her feet.

She fished the small bronze key from her pouch, ears twitching with excitement as she hurried to the front door.

"Hehe~ my first time opening a real house with a key!" she said proudly, stretching her arm up toward the lock. With a soft click, the door creaked open.

The scent of old wood and stone greeted them as she stepped inside first.

The living room spread out warmly before them.

Thick beams crossing the ceiling, a wide fireplace tucked into one side with neat stacks of firewood ready to be used, a long cushioned couch facing it, and a faded but soft carpet covering the center.

The air carried that grounded coziness only a well-kept dwarf-built home could give.

"Wow!! Inside is cozy, Hazuki!!" Ellyn's golden eyes sparkled as she spun around in the middle of the room, her small hands brushing along the couch cushions as if claiming them for herself.

Hazuki chuckled softly at her excitement, stepping up to the doorway. "Yes, yes," he said with a smile, tugging off his boots and setting them neatly aside before entering.

He glanced around almost unconsciously, his eyes searching the ceiling corners.

"Where did that purple cloud go…?" he muttered, expecting Ridan's smug voice at any moment.

But before he could call out, Ellyn's voice rang again, sweet and urgent.

"Hazuki!! Look here!"

Hazuki sighed, a fond smile tugging at his lips. "Coming…" he murmured, padding inside toward her voice.

"Wow! Look at the firewood kitchen!" Ellyn's voice rang from deeper inside, filled with delight.

Hazuki followed her and leaned against the doorway, watching her peer curiously at the stone stove and neatly stacked firewood. "You've never seen one? I thought your house had something like this."

"Ah… umm…" Ellyn fumbled, her tail swishing as she tried to think fast. "Well… in my house… we use… a magic stove." Her eyes darted away as if the words were natural, though inwardly she cursed herself for slipping so close to the truth.

Hazuki raised a brow, folding his arms. "Magic stove?"

"Yes!" Ellyn puffed her cheeks, pretending confidence. "Don't tell me you never saw one?"

Hazuki scratched the back of his head, sheepish.

"Ah… well… to be honest… nope. I never saw one."

Ellyn blinked, then covered her mouth with a small giggle, her ears twitching happily.

"Fufu~ then I'll teach you how to use one… someday."

Hazuki only shrugged with a small smile, stood by the doorway, arms crossed, watching Ellyn dash from one corner to the next, first the shower, then the windows, then back to the shelves like a child discovering treasure.

He shook his head with a faint smile before turning his eyes toward the bedrooms. Two doors, side by side. He opened one and stepped in, noticing the cozy twin bed with clean sheets, a small table by the window, and a faint smell of dried herbs in the wood.

"Alright," Hazuki said firmly, pointing. "You sleep here, and I'll take the next room."

Ellyn stopped in her tracks, ears flicking as she spun around. "Eh? We sleep together." Her lips pulled into a pout.

"Huh? No way!" Hazuki immediately waved his hands. "I'm not sleeping in the same bed with a kid. People would call me weird, dangerous even. Nope. No way."

Ellyn crossed her arms, tail flicking behind her in clear annoyance. "Mou~ you're so stubborn. Couples are supposed to sleep together."

"Couples?" Hazuki blinked, a bit flustered. "We're… uh… well, we're not married yet. And besides, you're still a kid. People would start rumors, and I don't wanna be that guy, you know? I already get enough weird looks just walking around."

Her lips curled into a deeper pout.

She tugged the hem of her dress and turned her head away dramatically. "Fine, fine. Have it your way… for now."

But in her mind, her resolve was unshakable. Later tonight, Hazuki… I'll show you I'm no child. And then, you'll never think of sleeping apart again.

"Alright, I'm going to wash myself," Hazuki said, stepping into the next room. He set his leather side bag down, pulled out a towel, and headed straight for the shower.

Once inside, he placed a hand on the water crystal embedded in the wall and channeled a bit of mana into it. A stream of water began to flow, and he let it wash over him, rinsing away the dust from the day.

Meanwhile, Ellyn wandered into the kitchen, her eyes shining as she spotted the firewood stove. She dragged a small stool over, stepped up on it, and carefully stacked the firewood inside. With a flick of her finger, she lit it with a small burst of fire magic.

Humming softly, she took the meat they had bought earlier, laid it out on the counter, and began cutting it with the kitchen knife, her tail swaying happily behind her.

I'm going to cook for us tonight~ tehe, she thought, cheeks lifting into a secret smile.

( End Of Chapter )